Method of disposing of dredgings.



v No. 638,I45.. Patented Nov. 28, |899.

A. G. ROSE. METHOD 0F DISPUSING 0F DREDGINGS.

(Application med Oct. 14, 1899.)

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METHOD UF DlSPSlNG 0F DREDEINGS.

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METHOD 0F DISPUSING'OF DREDGINGS.

(Applieation filed Oct. 14, 1899.)

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Nrrnn STATES ARTHUR GRANT ROSE, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF DISPOSING OF DREDGINGS.

SPECIFICATION Vforming part of Letters Patent No. 638,145, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed October 14, 1899. Serial N0 7331653 (N0 model-l To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, ARTHUR GRANT Rosa, of New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Method of Disposing of Dredgings, of which the following is a complete specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a method of raising, transporting, and disposing of the material or spoil taken up by a dredging-machine, whereby the foulest harbors may be dredged at any season of the year without jeopardizing the health of the workmen employed in the operation or in any wise contaminating the atmosphere of the Vicinity.

In certain localities, particularly harbors in the subtropical and tropical regions of the globe, the bottoms thereof become very foul, and dredging operations, particularly at certain seasons of the year, cannot be carried on owing to the imminent risks to which the workmen are exposed and the danger of contaminating the atmosphere and spreading disease. By the use of cutting and suction dredges the Water is so slightly disturbed as not to be polluted by the stirring up of the bed; but the air becomes contaminated by the rising to the surface and exposure to the air of the dredgings raised by the machine. By the employment of my method the danger of contamination of the atmosphere is entirely avoided owing to the fact that all foul air derivable from the operation is kept confined and is not allowed to mingle with the atmosphere until after it has been perfectly disinfected and purified.

The mechanical means employed in carrying out my process are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure I is a top plan View of a portionv of my dredgingp-scow, the roof being broken away to illustrate the interior construction and arrangement of the parts. Fig. II is a transverse vertical section of the same complete, taken on the line II II of Fig. I, showing the roof of the scow complete and also in side elevation a portion of a dredgingmachine operativelyconnected with the scow. In this figure one section of the roof is illustrated in dotted lines as raised. The trap or dumping doors in the bottom of the scow are also shown in dotted lines as open, they being illustrated in f ull lines as closed. Fig. III is a plan view of a portion of the scow, taken near the opposite end from that shown in Fig. I and designed to illustrate the fan or blower which communicates with the disinfecting apparatus carried upon the said opposite end of the scow.

In practicing my method through the employment of the preferred form of apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings and to which reference should be made I prefer to employ any suitable buoyant structurefor example, a scow 1-in order thatit may be conveniently transported from place to place. The buoyancy of the structure is, however, not essential to the carrying out of my process, but is desirable only for facilitating and ,completing the disposition of the dredgings subsequent to the employment of my method. It is essential to the practice of my invention that a structure, buoyant or otherwise, but preferably buoyant, as illustrated, be provided with a capacious air-tight compartment adapted to receive the spoil from a suitable dredging-machine, (indicated at 2 in Fig. II of the drawings.) Such an air-tight compartment may be formed of side plates 3, end pieces t, and converging bottom plates 5, respectively united by suitably-secured air-tight joints. The side plates 3 preferably rise above the deck 6 and are surrounded by parallel side walls 7, that are surmounted by an air-tight roof preferably composed of sections 8,whose edges are suitably packed or otherwise adapted to preserve the air-tight character of the compartment. The sections 8 may be hinged to the walls 7 and provided with suitable means for raising and lowering them; but these are variable details of construction which do not enter into the essence of my present invention, but are described and to the extent of their novely are claimed in my application, Serial No. 728,607, led August 26,1899. Among the othernon-essential stru@ 2 saai-15 -trat-ed in Fig. II, for the discharge of dredgings or to be closed against a medial rib 11 for the retention of the dred gings. Also there may be mentioned Vertical plates 13, which define between the hull of the scow and the bottom plates a free space for the working of the trap-doors 10, as Well as pipes 12, leading from troughs dened by the upward extensions of the side plates 3 and walls 7 to the space between the plates 13; also, a preferred system of baffling-plates or open-work 14 within the air-tight compartment.

It is essential to the carrying out of my process to provide means for establishing operative communication without leakage between the dredging-machine 2 and the interior of the air-tight compartment. This may be effected by the employment of a flexible hose 15, communicating, as through a balljoint 16, with the preferably upwardly-opening discharge-terminal 17 wit-hin the compartment. It is also essential to employ in connection with means of egress of air from the interior of the airtight compartment 'means for disinfecting andspurifying all the air that can escape from the interior of the said compartment. This may be accomplished by providing a limited number of airvents, which may be represented by fines 18. and 19. The iiue 1S affords the air-draft to a furnace and cannot be discharged except through the fire of the furnace, by which the air which passes through it may be eectually puried. I illustrate two furnaces, a boilerfurnace 20 and an ordinary furnace 21, either or both of which may be used, as preferred. The furnace 2O is specially provided to produce steam for running an engine 22, (see Fig. III,) which is located at the opposite endv of the scow from the furnace and with which the boiler is connected, as by means of a steam-pipe 23. The engine is designed to drive the blower or fan contained within a case 24, that is connected, as by an elbow 25,

with the interior of the air-tight compartment above its water-level.

26 indicates a shut-off by which when the blower is not in use the opening in the elbow 25 may be tightly closed.

The flue 19, which may be employed with or Vindependently of the ue 18, may be filled with charcoal, thereby constituting a charcoal-box, and may communicate, as through a pipe 28, with a lime-tower 2 9, which may be provided within with a mixer, of which the handle 30 is illustrated. The charcoal-box 19 and the lime-tower 29 are merely illustrated: and described as examples of chemical means of disinfection, and I desire to have it understood in this connection that for the re air-purifying apparatus or for the chemical air-purifying apparatus any other effectual means for purifying and disinfectin-g air maybe substituted.

I prefer also to employ within the air-tight compartment a system 31-of perforated pipes in the upper part of the air-tight compartment, through which a cleansing spray of salt-Water may be introduced, as by a watersupply pipe 32.

Having described the apparatus by which my method may be practiced, I shall now proceed to point out more in detail the several steps of my process.

The air-tight compartment being closed, the spoil from the dredging-machine 2 is delivered into its interior through the terminal 17. As the level of the material delivered riseswithin the compartment it displaces the air, which, fndin g egress only through the flueslSand 19, passes out thereat and in its passage through the air-purifying apparatus connected therewith is perfectly purified. This operation continues until the ow through theterminal 17 is arrested, which occurs, of course, before the entire volume of air within the air-tight compartment is discharged. In order, therefore, to expel the residuum of foul air, the blower within the case 24 is set in operation and all foul air is driven off and purified.

It is obvious that without setting the blower in operation the scow 1 may be closed, transported to a required locality and dumped, and afterward brought back and reconnected to the dredging-machine 2 without serious danger of polluting the atmosphere; but inasmuch as there might be some possible danger to the workmen in disconnecting or uncoupling the hose 15 from the part upon the scow to which it is in operation united I deem it best to employ the blower as a final operation in all cases. It is also well, and when the roof-sections@ are to be opened it is necessary, after purification of' the air withiny the air-tight compartment and on the dumping of its solidv contents, to thoroughly cleanse the interior of the compartment by the aid of water supplied from the pipe system 31.

Vh'at I claim isi- 1. The method of disposing of dredgings which consists in keeping them confined from exposure to the open atmosphere, delivering them into the interior of an air-tight compartment, purifying the air expelled by the iniux of dredgings, from the compartment, and finally discharging the dredgings from the compartment without exposure to the atmosphere.

2. The method of disposing of dredgings which consists, in conning the same from exposure to the open atmosphere, delivering them into the interior of an air-tight compartment, expelling all foul air from the interior of the compartment, purifying the air so expelled, before it leaves the lcompartment, and finally discharging the dredgings from the compartment Without exposure 'to the etmosphere, substantially as set forth.

3. The method of disposing of dredgings which consists in, eonining the same from exposure to the open-atmosphere, delivering the same into and discharging them from an air-tight compartment Without exposure to the open atmosphere, purifying all foul air expelled from the compartment, before it leaves the compartment, and inally Washing 1o the closed, air-tight compartment, substantially as and for the purpose speeied.

In testimony of ell which I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ARTHUR GRANT ROSE. Witnesses:

WILLIAM F. LARER, FRANCIS V. GODFREY. 

